[Mycological findings in denture stomatitis and their evaluation]

Twenty-eight out of 30 patients suffering from denture-wearer's stomatitis, yielded yeast-like fungi from the areas of inflammation. The fungi included Candida albicans (20), Torulopsis glabrata (7), C. tropicalis (3), C. pseudotropicalis (1), and C. krusei (1). In 15 cases, a heavy fungal growth was found. Of the 20 C. albicans strains, 18 exhibited an extra-cellular proteolytic activity on Serum-Albumin agar with the initial pH value of 5.0. In the sera from 20 patients, precipitating antibodies against C. albicans antigens were detected with the help of the immunodiffusion test. The haemagglutination test revealed titers greater than or equal to 1:160 in 18 cases. The questionable pathogenic significance of the yeast-like fungi in the denture wearer's stomatitis is discussed.